Veronica plant named &#39;Wizard of  Ahhs&#39;

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental spike speedwell plant,  Veronica  ‘Wizard of Ahhs’, with tight compact habit and stiff, freely-branched, early flowering with upright spikes producing large violet-blue flowers and glossy, clean, deep-green foliage.

Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Wizard of Ahhs’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of spikespeedwell, botanically known as Veronica spicata ‘Wizard of Ahhs’, andhereinafter referred to as the cultivar ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ or the “newplant”. The new plant was hybridized on Mar. 8, 2011 by the inventor ata wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA, with theunprotected, unreleased, proprietary hybrid known as K7-38-309 as thefemale parent and ‘Blue Pixie’ (not patented) as the male parent. Theindividual seedling that was ultimately named ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ wasidentified by the breeder code 11-06-10 throughout the trial period.

The new plant has been asexually propagated by shoot tip cuttings at thesame nursery in the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., since the summer of2013 with subsequent asexually propagated plants found to be identicalto the original selection with all the same traits as the originalseedling.

No plants of Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ have been sold or disclosed bythis or any other name, in this country or anywhere in the world, priorto one year from the filing of this application, with the exception ofthat was sold or disclosed within one year of the filing of thisapplication and which was either derived directly or indirectly from theinventor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Veronica spicata ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ is unique from all other spikespeedwell known to the inventor. Several other cultivars may have somesimilar traits, but this is the only variety known by the inventor tohave the following characteristic combinations that establish the newplant as unique:

-   -   1. Tight compact habit with spreading dense mats of foliage.    -   2. Thick upright spikes with numerous large flowers of        violet-blue petals.    -   3. Early blooming period beginning the middle of June in        Michigan and blooming for four to five weeks.    -   4. Glossy, clean, deep green foliage.

The closest comparison varieties to the new plant are ‘Hocus Pocus’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 23,853, ‘Glory’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,932, ‘Sunny BorderBlue’ (not patented), ‘Goodness Grows’ (not patented) and ‘AtomicViolet’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,780. ‘Hocus Pocus’ is taller and producesa lighter violet purple flower. ‘Goodness Grows’ has a shorter habit andflowers that are more bluish in hue. ‘Atomic Violet’ is taller in habitwith different colored flowers than the new plant. Both ‘Sunny BorderBlue’ and ‘Glory’ are both taller in habit and not as deeply colored.The female plant is taller than the new plant with longer spikes. Themale parent is slightly shorter in habit, and not as broad as the newplant. ‘Twilight’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,414 begins flowering later inthe season than the new plant, is slightly shorter and the flowers arenot as deep blue-violet. ‘Enchanted Indigo’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,603is taller in habit, the foliage is not as deep green, vernalization isnot required to flower and the flowers are deep violet-blue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance andunique traits of ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ as a two-year-old plant grown in afull-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient lightspectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color.

FIG. 1 shows the habit of the new plant in full flower.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references of Veronica ‘Wizard ofAhhs’ are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Veronica‘Wizard of Ahhs’ has not been observed under all possible environments.The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments suchas temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels,but without any change in the genotype. The following observations andsize descriptions are based on two-year old plants in the full sun trialgarden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer andwater as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica spicata;-   Parentage: Female (seed parent) unprotected, unreleased, proprietary    hybrid known only as K7-38-309; male (pollen parent) ‘Blue Pixie’;-   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, with average 30 branched    stems, main stems blooming to about 38.0 cm tall and clumping to    about 54 cm across; flowering beginning mid-June in Michigan and    continuing for up to 5 weeks;-   Propagation: The plant roots from cuttings in about 2 weeks and    finishes to flowering in a 3.8 liter container in 8 to 10 weeks    following a vernalization period of about 8 weeks;-   Roots: Thin, fibrous, highly branched; color nearest RHS 161C;-   Leaves: Simple, flat, elliptic to lanceolate; opposite; serrated    margin with about 2 to 3 teeth per one centimeter, surface glabrous    below and above, lustrous above, matte below, acute apex, attenuate    base; to about 8.0 cm long by 2.0 cm wide decreasing in both length    and width distally;-   Leaf color: Mature leaves adaxial nearest RHS 137A, abaxial between    RHS 137A and RHS 137B; young expanding leaves nearest RHS 143A    adaxial and nearest RHS 144A abaxial;-   Veins: Reticulate, abaxial finely puberulent, adaxial glabrate to    glabrous; abaxial midrib costate;-   Vein color: Adaxial midrib blend between RHS N144A and RHS 145C,    secondary veins nearest RHS 137A; abaxial midrib nearest RHS 147C    with secondary veins nearest RHS 137A;-   Stem: Terete; young stems densely and finely puberulent, mature    stems moderate density and finely puberulent; to about 33.0 cm long    before flowers and about 3.0 mm diameter at base; freely branching    at distal nodes; about 7 to 8 nodes before flowers; average    internode length about 2.1 cm;-   Stem color: Distally between RHS 138A and RHS 138B, proximally    nearest RHS 138B blushed with nearest RHS 187C; nodes same color as    remaining stem;-   Petiole: Simple, slightly concaved upward on edges, margin sparsely    ciliolate; about 1.0 cm long and 3.5 mm wide length shorter and    narrower on distal leaves;-   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137A; abaxial between RHS 137A    and RHS 137B;-   Inflorescence: Terminal and lateral; triangular in bud becoming    oblong;-   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Convolute; narrowly oblong;    acute apex; rounded base; about 8.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter near    base;-   Bud color: Nearest RHS 90A throughout;-   Flowers: On heavily branched upright spikes in compressed    conglomerate; numerous; zygomorphic; campanulate; approximately 200    per main spike and about 500 per stem with branches; about 10.5 mm    long, about 7.0 mm across and 8.5 mm tall; flowers persist    individually for 4 to 6 days whether on the plant or cut; petals    self-cleaning, sepals and style persistent; flowering portion of    terminal stem about 13.0 cm long and 3.0 cm wide;-   Flower attitude: Mostly outwardly;-   Flower timing: Beginning mid-June and continuing for about 4 to 5    weeks;-   Flower fragrance: None detected;-   Petals: Four; one larger petal above and three slightly smaller    below and to either side; simple; margin entire; apex acute; fused    in basal 2.5 mm to form corolla tube about 1.5 mm diameter; glabrous    abaxial and pubescent with 1.0 mm long hairs in tufted band about    1.0 to 2.0 mm from adaxial base; upper larger petal with rounded    apex, about 10.0 mm long and 4.0 mm wide; side and lower petals with    acute apex, about 10.0 mm long and 3.0 mm wide;-   Petal color: Abaxial nearest RHS 90A and adaxial nearest RHS 90A    with hairs inside tube nearest RHS 91D; not changing with age; outer    corolla tube distally nearest RHS 90A and between RHS 145C and RHS    145D in proximal 1.0 mm;-   Androecium:    -   -   Filaments.—Two; divergent; glabrous; epipetalous about 1.0            mm from base; about 7.0 mm long by about 0.3 mm diameter;            color nearest RHS 86A.        -   Anther.—Dorsifixed, longitudinal; elliptic with acute apex            and rounded base; about 2.5 mm long and 1.0 mm across; color            nearest RHS N92B.        -   Pollen.—Abundant, globose, less than 0.1 mm; nearest RHS 8C.-   Gynoecium: Single, superior; persists after petal drop; about 10.5    mm long;    -   -   Style.—Straight; exserted; attitude mostly outwardly; about            9.0 mm long and 0.3 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 86A.        -   Stigma.—Globose; finely puberulent; about 0.3 mm in            diameter; color nearest RHS 85C.        -   Ovary.—Spherical to slightly elliptic; puberulent distally            and glabrous proximally; about 1.0 mm long and 0.8 mm in            diameter; color nearest RHS 146C.-   Calyx: Campanulate; about 4.0 mm long and 3.0 mm wide at apex;-   Sepals; Four, surface dull, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, acute    apex, basal 1.5 mm fused; sparsely ciliolate margin; adaxial    glabrous; abaxial nearly microscopically puberulent; about 4.0 mm    long and 1.5 mm across;-   Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 138B and abaxial nearest RHS 137B;-   Peduncle: Strong, erect, branched at nodes; terete; puberulent;    about 15 cm long and 2.5 mm in diameter at the base; attitude    upwardly; terminal and lateral;-   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 138B;-   Pedicel: Terete; rigid; about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm wide; finely    puberulent; attitude mostly outwardly;-   Pedicel color: Between RHS 137C and RHS 138B;-   Bract: One, subtending each flower; linear; narrowly acute apex;    margin entire; sessile; proximal bracts about 7.0 cm long and 1.0 mm    wide decreasing in size distally;-   Bract color: Adaxial between RHS 137A and RHS 139A, and abaxial    nearest RHS 137A;-   Fruit: Ellipsoid, about 3.0 mm long and 2.5 mm across; color between    RHS 166A and RHS 166B;-   Hardiness, pest and disease resistance: The plant grows best with    plenty of moisture and adequate drainage, but is able to tolerate    some drought when mature. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4    through 9. Disease and pest resistance beyond what is typical of    that of other spike speedwell has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental spikespeedwell plant, Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’, as herein described andillustrated.